books

These self-help and mindfulness books will change your life.

I know they did mine. Growing up, I didn’t really have anyone I could turn to for advice. But I learned from an early age to turn to books to find the wisdom I craved—it’s what inspired me to become a writer myself. And once I found these self-help and mindfulness books in my mid-20s, my self-growth flew to a whole new level.

I really dove into my personal and spiritual development in 2015, when I was hitting a point of rock bottom in my life and studying yoga and meditation in order to heal and become a teacher myself. I had spent most of my adolescence and 20s lost, depressed, and making bad choices. But I also knew that there was a way to be happier, and I wanted to learn everything I could about how to do that. When I say these books changed my life, I mean it. They helped teach me how to think and expanded my awareness about what life is, as well as who I am and who I can become.

Whether you’re feeling lost or just craving some powerful inspiration and motivation from the top thought leaders in the world, these self-help books are just what you need. I’ve read them all multiple times now, and I know I’ll continue to re-read them as my life goes on.

I hope these books help support you on your own journey to self-growth and actualization.

You CAN be happy. You can be fulfilled. You can be the person you’ve always dreamed of being. There’s a better way to live, and these books will teach you how. It all starts with getting to know yourself and healing past wounds through mindfulness.

By the way—all of the below books are linked to Bookshop, which is an amazing website that supports local, independent bookstores. I’ve been trying to buy less from Amazon lately in an effort to shop small businesses, and so I hope you’ll join me in purchasing your books from this awesome online store!

Now, let’s get to the good stuff—the book list:

THE TOP 10 SELF-HELP BOOKS TO LEARN ABOUT MINDFULNESS AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH

1. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

If I could only recommend ONE book to you, it would be this. Hands down, The Power of Now wins. Talk about a life-changer; this single book completely changed who I am and how I think. Which sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Reading this book is when I really first began to understand meditation and made the commitment to start my own practice. Eckhart Tolle is a world-renowned spiritual leader, and in this book he teaches how to find enlightenment through becoming more fully present in the NOW.

I definitely recommend reading a hard copy of this book instead of getting an audiobook because you’ll want to really focus and give this book the mindful presence it teaches about. I’m normally a big audiobook fan, but trust me, you’ll want your full attention for this and the other books on this list!

2. Stay Woke by Justin Michael Williams

I discovered Justin Michael Williams a year ago when I was researching my Master List of Black Wellness Leaders, and he has since become my BIGGEST spiritual and mindfulness teacher. Like, I’m committed. I’ve taken all of his courses, which include The Liberation Experience (on conscious activism) and 40 Days to Transformation (a transformative meditation practice). He is my top recommendation for learning meditation, because he teaches in a way that is real, accessible, and inclusive—his message is that through our own spiritual growth and personal development, we can go on to change the world.

And the best way to access all his wisdom is in his incredible book, Stay Woke. It teaches all the essentials of meditation and mindfulness in a modern, fresh way I’ve never seen before in the spiritual space, but is sorely needed. As the title says: it’s A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us. Also, you definitely need the hard copy of this book, too, because it’s more of a workbook, really, with spaces for you to practice exercises and reflect. 

3. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

I’m going to give you a little (non) spoiler. What ARE The Four Agreements? Well, they are:

1. Be impeccable with your word. 

2. Don’t take anything personally. 

3. Don’t make assumptions.

4. Always do your best.

This must-read book by Don Miguel Ruiz is short, but incredibly powerful. If you really follow these four simple-yet-complex life rules, which the book explores in detail, your entire way of approaching life will change.

This quick read teaches you how to stop self-limiting beliefs and needless suffering. I actually have an awesome Etsy poster of these Four Agreements framed on my wall, as a way to constantly remind myself of this effective code for living a full life.

4. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

I STAN Brené Brown. I was once talking to my husband and brought her up and asked if he knew who she was—and he responded that if, after being married to me all those years, if he didn’t know who Brené Brown, there’d be a serious problem. Safe to say I talk about her and her work a lot.

Specifically, Brené is a researcher and professor, focusing for over 20 years on the study of courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy in a very data-driven, realistic way that’s also full of profound wisdom and heart. All of her books are must-reads (the first one I read was The Gifts of Imperfection), but if you could only pick one, I’d tell you to read Daring Greatly to get a solid full scope of her teachings.

This self-help book will make you rethink vulnerability as Brené proves that it’s the real source of courage, as well as the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. After all, mindfulness is not just about checking your thoughts—it’s about tapping into your heart to show up as the fullest version of yourself, and that requires brave, authentic vulnerability.

5. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson

I love a self-help and personal growth book that keeps it REAL. And it doesn’t get realer than Mark Manson‘s no-bullshit bestseller, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck. It’s an incredibly entertaining read while also delivering some major truthbombs.

Mark is an OG blogger, providing “life advice that doesn’t suck.” His work is always full of heavily-researched science and data to back his hilarious and intelligent writing style.

In the book, Mark explains how to stop trying to be positive all the time in order to actually be happy, and how to let go of stress you don’t really need. There are only so many things we can give a fuck about, so we need to figure out which ones really matter. It’s an approach to mindfulness that tells it like it is—life is sometimes really messed up and shit happens. But we control how we react to it all in order to free ourselves.

6. The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein

This book is all about how to make the shift from fear to faith. It goes down a deeper spiritual path than the rest on this list, showing you how to trust the Universe (or God, or whatever you call life’s Higher Power). It takes mindfulness to the next level—by teaching you how to step out of your own way and call in an energetic frequency of faith to co-create your best life.

My good friend Courteney introduced me to spiritual leader Gabrielle (Gabby) Bernstein years ago, when I first mentioned I wanted to try to get into self-help books. At the time, I was the Queen of Control—I wanted to have full control over everything in my life, and was easily stressed and panicked when things weren’t going according to my plan. Through Gabby’s work, I’ve learned how to surrender and feel safe even in the face of uncertainty. The Universe Has Your Back has been the most impactful of the books I’ve read by Gabby (though they’re all amazing), and helped me learn how to clearly listen to my intuition.

7. Man’s Search For Meaning by Dr. Viktor E. Frankl

Dr. Viktor Frankl was a Jewish professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Vienna Medical School—and during WWII, he was imprisoned for three years in Auschwitz, Dachau, and other concentration camps. Talk about someone who can impart some DEEP wisdom on how to get through the most painful of circumstances. Because of his experience as a psychiatrist, Dr. Frankl was able to observe and analyze the various ways his fellow prisoners reacted to their shared horrific experiences. He noticed that some were able to endure more easily than others, and that choosing to transform and find meaning in the suffering was often at the core.

From this, Frankl developed his theory of logotherapy (from the Greek word for “meaning”): that the primary human drive is not pleasure, but rather the discovery and pursuit of meaning. Man’s Search For Meaning is a slim book, but every line is dripping with wisdom; my copy is very heavily underlined, and yours will be, too. It’s heavy but powerfully inspiring.

8. The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger

Dr. Edith (“Edie”) Eva Eger was also imprisoned at Auschwitz at the same time as Viktor Frankl. However, while he was already a psychiatrist and an adult at that time, Edith was only a 16 year old girl. Her unique perspective on the experience is the perfect accompaniment to Man’s Search For Meaning (I read it right after) because she had to take those traumatic young years and figure out how to heal all on her own.

She explains that the way through this traumatic time in her life was by realizing that while we can’t always control what happens to us, we are always in control of how we react. We have the CHOICE of how we will interpret and respond to the events. Edith chose to remain hopeful even in the darkest of possible circumstances, and it allowed her to continue forward and become an incredibly influential teacher and psychologist herself—Viktor Frankl even became her mentor years after the Holocaust.

Edith is now in her 90s and continuing to thrive, radiating positivity and wisdom. She is a stunning force to learn from, and The Choice is one of those books that will change you—because if she could survive, despite the worst of tragedies, then we can tap into the power of our minds to overcome our own obstacles, too.

9. Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Chances are, you’ve heard of Untamed. It became a huge bestseller in 2020, and for good reason. Glennon Doyle is a radical feminist, activist, and human—radical in that she does not hold back in speaking the truth and shining a light on all the ways life and society tries to imprison us. While this memoir speaks especially to the experience of being a woman, and how to find empowerment despite all the messaging trying to limit our expression, everyone should read this.

This book explores how joy and inner peace can be found once you start trusting your own intuition, self-worth, and strength in life. It will teach you how to stop abandoning yourself, embrace who you really are, and realize your true power.

A little pro tip: start by reading Glennon’s previous book, Love Warrior (also a great read). I read it right before Untamed, and I think it really helps set the stage. Glennon has undergone an incredible transformation in her own life by overcoming addiction, ending a marriage that wasn’t serving her, and discovering she is gay. Having that backstory made Untamed even more powerful to read than I think it’d be going in dark, since you get to follow her on her journey of growth as you find your own full self-expression.

10. You Are The Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza

You Are The Placebo take a more scientific approach in analyzing the power of our thoughts and mindfulness, using the latest discoveries from neuroscience and quantum physics to teach a spiritually profound practice. It’s all about how your thoughts create your reality—literally. The title “you are the placebo” means that your thoughts can either support your physical health, or harm you. Your body is always listening to what’s going on in your mind. There’s immense power behind your beliefs.

Dr. Joe Dispenza discovered this during his own incredible healing journey. After being hit by a car while on his bike, Joe’s spine was shattered, and he was told he would be forever paralyzed. He spent weeks doing intense meditation to focus on healing his body, visualizing the end result of health he desired. And you guessed it—it worked, and he went on to share this wisdom with his own patients in his chiropractic practice and beyond. I read this book prior to undergoing a major surgery, and I’ve used all that I’ve learned in this book to tap into my body’s healing powers to recover. It will make you think about miracles in a whole new light.

» Song Vibes «

My favorite music to listen to when I read is soft jazz, so here’s a playlist to set the mood. Happy reading!

What are your favorite Self-Help and/or Mindfulness Books? Share with the class—drop a note and let me know in the Disqus Comments section below so I can give them a read!

xo,

Amy

Image credit: The top gorgeous book artwork is by Hannah Gabel of HLG Creative (be sure to check out her Instagram @bookmarkparty for all her book recommendations!).

This post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links. I truly love these products and know you will, too. Thanks for supporting the blog!

» A little peak at the shoes that give me joy «

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up really lives up to its name.

This isn’t a particularly timely post, considering Marie Kondo‘s #1 New York Times Bestseller came out back in 2014, but it’s something I’m super excited to talk about right now. The book was enormously popular and caused quite the tidying frenzy. So you may have already heard about this organizing guide that promises to not only tidy up your house, but also change your life. Kondo feels so strongly that her method works that she went so far as to put “life-changing” in the title! (like a BOSS)

I mean, right from the get-go, you know it’s gonna be good.

And let me tell ya, this book 100% lives up to its promise.

Marie Kondo is an organizing master. She started her own organizing consulting business in her home of Tokyo when she was just 19 years old. She created the KonMari Method, which is so effective she has over a three month long waiting list to work with her. Kondo was listed as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2015 and now trains other consultants in her trademarked KonMari Method around the world.

Confession: I’ve had this book since 2014, and I only just recently actually went through and did it a few months ago. I read the book briefly back when I first bought it, but at the time it just didn’t click. Everything made sense to me, but I still didn’t get the point. Looking back, I understand why – I wasn’t emotionally ready for this book. I had just started to battle a crippling neck injury and was horribly depressed and just very far away from myself.

I couldn’t bring myself to start the method, because The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing requires you to be willing to make some major life changes.

Marie Kondo makes you get really, really real with yourself.

So be warned: this book is kind of magical. If you pick it up, your life will never be the same again.

Kind of exciting, right? But also a little scary, so it can be easy to go the same route with it that I did – read it, tell yourself, promise yourself, swear that tomorrow you’re definitely positively for sure going to do this… and then let the book sit on your shelf for three years.

You also can’t fall into the bad compromise of only tidying up some of your stuff and calling it good. This book requires commitment – it’s an all or nothing deal.

You have to go all in, examine every single thing you own, and be ready to decide what type of person you are going to be.

Wait, what? I thought this was a book about tidying all the crap I have in my house? This sounds like some heavy shit.

Yeah, and that’s why it works. Kondo’s genius is that she’s not just another organizing master. She understands human psychology, and that our exterior lives are often a reflection of our interior lives.

“Visible mess helps distract us from the true source of the disorder. The act of cluttering is really an instinctive reflex that draws our attention away from the heart of an issue.”

A messy and cluttered home usually points to some kind of life chaos. Granted, I know plenty of highly-organized people whose homes are ready for a photographer at any moment who are also downright trainwrecks. But they probably have a lot of belongings in those perfect houses of theirs that do not bring them joy – which means they still definitely need to read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

Kondo’s method is all about only living with things that bring you joy.

It’s such a simple concept, but so profound. You have to go through every single thing you own, in the category order that Kondo lays out for you, and hold each item in your hands. You then ask yourself if it brings you joy. If it’s not an immediate yes, it’s trash. (unless it’s like your cooking pans or internet router or other life basics – those you’re obviously still allowed to keep)

“When you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too.”

This is why this book is so much more than just another organizing how-to that tells you to go crazy at The Container Store. This process of really becoming present and connecting with everything that surrounds us leads to a transformation not just in your closets, but in your mindset as well.

This is also why Kondo recommends going through everything you own in one shot. For most people, that will mean setting aside one weekend day a week to go through your belongings until you’re done, which could take up to a year. I got inspired to revisit this book when I moved to Hawaii. Since I was unemployed and bored, I decided to overhaul our home. I sorted through most of our things like I usually do as we unpacked, but then a month or so later I finally went through the book, page by page. I ended up getting rid of two Ford Explorer-fulls of stuff. As in, my husband had to make two trips to the donation center to clear it all out.

It was just as healing as I’d hoped it would be.

I was finally ready for the that life-changing magic.

Before you even begin to pick through your things, Kondo instructs you to get clear and visualize the life you want to be living. That can be your life! All you have to do is decide to be the person you’ve always wanted to be. The items that fit in with that life get to stick around. Anything holding you back gets cleared out.

“The whole point in both discarding and keeping things is to be happy.”

Who knew?!

Up until I did the Konmarie method, I had absolutely been collecting clutter around me as I slid deeper down into a state of unhappiness. I’ve always been kind of a natural minimalist – I love to get rid of stuff. But the past few years I’d allowed myself to pile up a whole lot of crap that I didn’t even really like. I could sense deep down that it wasn’t a true reflection of me, but I was too down in it to figure out how to get back to myself.

Becoming more selective about the things I have has made me value myself so much more.

And I have to tell you, it really has been such an incredible experience for me. I now look at everything in my life with that same simple philosophy: Does it bring me joy?

People, jobs, things… they all influence our habits and thoughts. If you surround yourself with negativity, or with things that aren’t really you, you’re dimming your own light. Sometimes we just need to be done with past events, past relationships, past selves. Keeping things just for sentimentality can hold us back from being the beautiful person we are NOW.

So get out some trash bags and prepare to say goodbye to old limitations and hello to the new you.

If you allow yourself to be 100% authentically you and love yourself enough to demand the best for yourself, well… that dream life of yours just might become a reality.

You don’t just go through your clothes, by the way. That box full of letters from your elementary school pen pals? You have to go through each one. All the childhood photos you’ve got stashed in that top shelf in the corner of your back closet? Yup – each one. All the jewelry your late grandmother gave you that is absolutely hideous but maybe worth something and also you feel guilty for potentially dishonoring her memory? If those earrings don’t bring you joy, it’s time to say goodbye.

Also – this book covers the practical aspects of tidying, too, of course. My dresser drawers have completely transformed. Kondo’s folding method is GOLD, people. It sounds crazy when you read it (or at least it did to me), but trust me here and just do it. I used to not even bother folding any of my clothes and just stuffed them into a drawer so full I couldn’t find anything in it. Now my drawers could be display cases at a high-end retail store. And it’s not even that hard or time-consuming and you can see everything you actually have.

After going through the KonMari Method, you very well may look back on your old ways with utter disbelief. I’m honestly embarrassed that I ever treated my yoga leggings so poorly.

“I can think of no greater happiness in life than to be surrounded only by the things I love.”

I completely agree.

Have you read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? Do you feel like you have too much stuff? Share your experiences with me in the Comments below!

xo,

Amy

This post is not sponsored, but there are affiliate links throughout this post if you’d like to buy the book and support the blog. I genuinely cannot recommend this book highly enough!